Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems may include one or more process chambers. In some electronic device manufacturing systems, the one or more process chambers may be arranged around a mainframe housing having a transfer chamber and one or more load lock chambers. These systems may employ one or more process chambers that may perform a process on a substrate (e.g., a wafer) inserted into the process chamber. Processing may include a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, used to deposit a thin film on a substrate or other high-temperature process. During processing, wafers may rest on a pedestal (e.g., a substrate support) and the temperature thereof may be controlled (e.g., heated or cooled) at one or more times during the process. Conventionally, heating may be provided by resistive heaters provided within the pedestal in some embodiments.
It should be recognized, however, that even small variations in temperature across the substrate during such high-temperature processing may cause differential processing (e.g., possibly uneven deposition).
Accordingly, apparatus, systems, and methods providing improved temperature control in high-temperature processing of substrates, especially in PECVD processing, are desired.